"I raised my hand for this assignment for a number of personal and professional reasons," said Schultz on the air. "My fight on The Ed Show has been for the workers and the middle class. This new time slot will give me the opportunity to produce and focus on stories that I care about and are important to American families and American workers."

He added: "I’m very proud of the work our team has done here at 8 p.m., but sitting behind this desk five nights a week doesn’t cut it for me."

MSNBC did not immediately name a replacement for The Ed Show, which currently airs at 8 p.m. and 11 p.m. ET on weekdays.

“It’s an exciting time for MSNBC and I’m looking forward to having Ed’s powerful voice on our network for a long time," said the network's president, Phil Griffin, in a release.